10) This Gift - Sons and Daughters
Winner of the “most overlooked” or “least appreciated” album of the year, This Gift, is a relentless rocking album. It is also winner of the “car album” of the year award. Released very early in the year, this disc has been in constant rotation for my monotonous drives to work or ventures cross country. And you know what... It has never gotten old or sounded stale (as most discs of the genre often do). This Glasgow band is fronted by female vocalist Adele Bethel, who turns in some of the most convincing and effecting female vocals ever. If Bethel doesn't end up attaining “superstar” status, then it's hard to say who will. From the raging opener “Gilt Complex” to the rolling and fantastic closer “Goodbye Service”, This Gift never lets up. The fact that the album is in such high octane mode the entire time could be perceived as a major point of criticism. But if each song maintains such high quality, who cares?! Pick any song off of this disc, any one at random, and that song could be a bona fide hit. In fact, This Gift is so consistent that it almost plays out as a “best of” album. Those looking for wimpy ballads should check out Iron & Wine; while those looking for god's gift to rock music should check out This Gift. Tis a gift indeed.
9) Offend Maggie - Deerhoof
Is it too early yet to call Deerhoof the band of the decade? If it is, then I think it's fair to say that they are at least the most polarizing and uniquely creative. However, for those who have been put off in the past by this band's flights of cuddly and maniacal fury, it's not hard to imagine these people actually enjoying Offend Maggie. I prefer to title this album: The Deerhoof Album for Those Who Do Not Like Deerhoof. Now, this isn't to say the band has sold out or gone pop. Deerhoof still requires you to meet them on their terms, these just happen to be the easiest terms to meet them on. While it may not be the obvious masterpiece that The Runners Four was, the album nearly shines just as bright and is a definite improvement over the relatively (key word: relatively) disappointing Friend Opportunity. Offend Maggie is such a solid album that it's hard to pick out highlights. If pressed, the rocking opener “The Tears and Love of Music”, the funky “Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back”, or the mini-epic “Eaguru Guru” would all be contenders. But that would be neglecting the beautiful “Chandelier Searchlight”, the jazzy closer “Jagged Fruit”, and the whimsical title track. Part of Offend Maggie's success lies in the fact that it manages to be both eclectic and cohesive. In addition, Satomi Matsuzaki's vocals have never sounded better and more natural. Offend Maggie, is likely to offend very few people.
8) Hold On Now, Youngster... & We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed - Los Campesinos!
Okay, okay... So I know that I cheated by listing two albums for the number eight slot. But then again, it's not every year that an artist releases their debut album the same year as their sophomore album. Even more rare is when both albums are extraordinary and both worthy of recognition (yet I'm refusing to offer each album it's own spot to make room for others). Approaching these albums you're going to have to ignore (or embrace) the fact that Los Campesinos! sounds nearly identical to the childlike joyness of Architecture in Helsinki. While critics of the band will scathe them for unoriginality, the others will notice that Los Campesinos! actually does a better job than the excellent Architecture in Helsinki. Many of the songs (notably “My Year in Lists”) features a chorus of what sounds like twenty heavily caffeinated band mates singing in the background. This giddiness carries over into both albums and once these songs dig into you, they will play out in your head for days. Both the overtly exuberant Hold On Now, Youngster... and the slightly more subdued We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed are the feel good soundtracks to this year. Give them a spin, and just try to tell me you didn't smile!
7) Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
Oh Antony, when I heard you were part of the ensemble known as Hercules and Love Affair, I just couldn't resist to buy this album. But instead of slow moving and beautiful ballads that dominate your solo albums, you are part of the group which released the most colorful album I've heard in quite some time. None-the-less, a DANCE album!!! “Blind” is one of those songs that finds me dancing in my underwear, should it come on when my Ipod is on shuffle while getting ready in the morning, while “You Belong” pumps out of my car stereo speakers without guilt or volition. It's so refreshing to hear your voice displayed with such color. But that shouldn't discount the rest of your imaginative group, which also contributes immeasurably to this wonderful disc. The other two vocalists, Nomi and Kim Ann Foxman, force you to share the spotlight. What with the sexy “Athene” and utterly gorgeous “Iris”, could you expect anything else? This is more than a dance or an electronic album, it is also an insurmountable work of art that overshadows other great albums of the same genre released this year. Antony, I know you'll go back to making your solo records laced with beautiful sadness; but oh what a joy it is to hear you having fun.
6) Visiter - The Dodos
The opening number to Visiter is a pretty little ditty that sounds a whole heck of a lot like Sufjan Stevens. But, before all of you Stevens fanatics avalanche into your local record store to buy minted copies of this album; it's only a taster. The rest of the disc bursts with original ferocity that makes it one of the most refreshing albums I've heard in years. Not only that, but it's addictive as all hell! This relentless album can only be listened to all the way through; from the crashing toy pianos of “Red and Purple”, the fierce “Fools”, which sounds like Bob Dylan revved up with two gallons of coffee, the delicious Magnetic Fields-esq “Winter”, and the gorgeous closer “God?”. This album is a gleeful winner. The frenetic guitar playing and the folky melodies almost make it seem as if Metallica joined up with Joni Mitchell; making you question whether any other music out there sounds quite like this. Not just recommend, but highly required!
5) The Airing of Grievances - Titus Andronicus
FUCK YOU!!! Or so Titus Andronicus announces on their full length debut. They are probably referring to the endless reviewers comparing the lead vocalist to Conor Oberst. Conor Oberst this, Conor Oberst that... I mean, after being compared to Oberst so much, wouldn't YOU want to scream “fuck you”? Don't let that skew your notion of Titus Andronicus, however; while the lead singer may sound a tad like an angry Oberst, their music sounds nothing like Bright Eyes. This is hard driving, compelling, and heart wrenching music that manages to be both distant and triumphant. The music has that introspective and white trash feel that hasn't been heard since the likes of early Modest Mouse (think Lonesome Crowded West). Once the epic duo of “No Future” hits you, it's like that profound feeling of hearing “Trailer Trash”, and the guitar part on “Upon Viewing...” will unapologetically tear your heart out. This is a challenging album, but manages to scatter brief moments of accessibility to keep things palatable on first listen. Such moments are the groovy “My Time Outside the Womb” or the anthemic “Titus Andronicus”. Fuck Conor Oberst and his pansie Bright Eyes... Titus Andronicus will render Oberst obsolete.
4) Nouns - No Age
It seems as if everyone is searching for the next Daydream Nation. What about the other, less discussed, Sonic Youth masterpiece: Sister? Well, any indie hipster looking for this generation's collection of tightly constructed and powerful noise/art rock will strike gold with Nouns. This thirty minute sophomore album brilliantly combines edginess and accessibility for what is guaranteed to be the most obsessively played disc of the year in your collection. Anthems such as “Teen Creeps” would be well suited for top 40 radio, had they not been drenched in glorious noise. Then there's the epic two and a half minute “Sleeper Hold” which will have you turning up the volume at each unpredictable twist the song takes. No Age manages to slow things down a few times, both the on surreal ballad “Things I Did When I Was Dead” and the two essential instrumental palette cleansers of the album. With Nouns, No Age have established themselves as a force to watch in the future; and who knows... Perhaps next we will get this generation's Daydream Nation.
3) Third - Portishead
Even though it was eleven years ago when Portishead released their self-titled sophomore album, it only takes about ten seconds after hitting the play button for you to know that they are back. Not only have they returned (seemingly out of nowhere), but they are stronger than ever (yes, I went there). From the spy car chase scene-esq opener, “Silence”, to the final echoing drones of “Threads”, Portishead create a deep labyrinth of claustrophobia and terror, with pockets of redeeming beauty. While that description may not render an enjoyable experience, one just has to surrender themselves to this music to fully experience the significance. Amy Gibbon's vocal delivery has never been more on target, one can hear the fear in her voice on “Machine Gun” or the sincerity on the gorgeous “Nylon Rip”. The real stunner of this album is the dynamic “We Carry On” in which the pounding percussion and the distorted guitars nearly steals the show. It's arguably the finest song Portishead has ever done. Third is the type of album that makes one nervous. While it's thrilling that such a great band came out from under the woodwork with little herald to deliver us a stunning album; fans can't help to feel a little dread that we'll have to wait eleven more years for another album of such stature.
2) April - Sun Kil Moon
Released on the first of the month in which the album is named after, April seems to get better as the year wears on and as Autumn grasps it's hand on us. After a successful career with Red House Painters and the beauty of the first two Sun Kil Moon albums, Mark Kozelek has finally dropped his fully realized masterpiece. This massive work is mostly comprised of repetitive ballads which clock in over the seven or eight minute mark. In the hands of most artists this would render disastrous and boring results, yet Kozelek makes repetition work to his advantage, similar in the way of Bob Dylan. Take for instance the winding opener “Lost Verses” (also the best song of the year), the warm countrified tones of “The Light”, or the unbelievable tension in the brilliant “Heron Blue”. Had these songs been edited their power would have been restrained a hundred-fold. April is not for anyone who is looking for quick gratification, catchy hooks, or a bitchin party. No, April is one of those rare albums, that given the patients it deserves, ages better with time than almost anything I've ever heard. Perhaps that is the reason Kozelek released this album in April, so that the autumnal bliss can fully be enjoyed in the season the music most matches. Sometimes I just can't get over how beautiful April is.
1) London Zoo - The Bug
Angry liberals... They sure give Democrats a bad name, and from the fiery album opener “Angry”, you can sure bet that Kevin Martin has a lot to get off his chest; from the war to Katrina to the ozone layer. However, his rant is far from being whiny and it's not offensive or overtly confrontational, and likely not to put off any conservative dubstep lovers (if there are any). But you know what... That's just the first number of this politically diluted and triumphant album. After a five year absence from the moniker of The Bug, Martin returns with work that can only be called career defining. Screw the dubstep label, and screw dancehall or electronic labels. While London Zoo may fit into those descriptions, it is best described as an album in a league of its own and one that raises the bar and sets precedence for all other albums which follow (much the way My Bloody Valentine achieved with Loveless).
More hook driven than the ethereal Pressure, London Zoo finds Martin recruiting a larger ensemble of cohorts for this set of songs. Most notably is Queen Warrior, who delivers the album knock out “Insane” and follows up later in the disc with the nearly as good “Poison Dart”. But what's most stunning about the album is perhaps the flawless track ordering. Coming out of the gates on fire with the aforementioned “Angry” and the equally massive (and addicting) follow up “Murder We”, the intensity and piss and vinegar of the tracks slowly diminishes to minimum mid album. This isn't to say these tracks aren't as good as the fiery ones; the two track duo of “You & Me” and the dizzying instrumental “Freak Freak” serves perfect complement to each other and acts as a welcome reprieve. When the thunderous claps of “Warning” kicks in, you're sure to form a thick layer of goosebumps; it is the finest single musical moment of the year.
London Zoo achieves similar success as last years top pick, Drums and Guns, in that it is culturally significant to our time. Martin spends much of London Zoo reminding us that there is in fact a war still going on overseas. With so much talk about the economy, it's amazing that the war has taken such a background position in our lives. Martin is that singular voice, still screaming in protest (most notably on “Jah War”). In the hands of other artists this all may sound outdated but London Zoo is remarkably fresh. When you hear somebody ask if anything good came out of the Bush Administration, just throw London Zoo in their faces.
